I find myself talking about healthy lifestyles often in my clinic. Whether we are talking about migraines or how to prevent breakthrough seizures, maintaining good habits is a key part of all of my patients’ care. We even have a catchy title for the handouts we give to our patients: “Healthy Habits.”
However, I also often joke with my patients that if following these habits was easy, I wouldn’t have a job. This is because most of us don’t follow these so-called “Healthy Habits”. While I was brainstorming for topics for my blog, I found that a lot of people looking for healthy meals, meal prepping/planning advice, and other things I write about on my blog, are also thinking about a healthy lifestyle, so I wanted to talk about it.
What is a healthy lifestyle?
The WHO defines it as a way of living that lowers the risk of being seriously ill or dying early. This definition is not very romantic, so I’ve decided to make my own. I think of a healthy lifestyle as a way to improve your physical, mental, and emotional well-being. A way of living that makes you feel your best and ready to tackle anything. No matter how you define a healthy lifestyle, there are 5 areas that reliably come up when searching for the perfect way to live.
Diet
You guessed it! A healthy diet is one of the most important factors in avoiding premature death but I would also argue important in feeling well. We have all spent a weekend traveling and eating all kinds of fried and fatty food, only to come home feeling yucky for lack of a better word.
There are so many options for diets these days, it is hard to know which one is the right one. The truth is that there isn’t a one size fits all. A well-balanced diet that includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean protein makes the most sense. Avoid highly processed food and refined sugars.There are many other options, such as plant-based diets, vegan, vegetarian, or keto diets. You may want to follow the advice of a medical professional if following these other diets to make sure you get enough protein and vitamins.
Exercise
You’ve heard it before: it is best to exercise at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes a day. When people hear this, they think that means you have to do something at the gym or play a sport. This is not necessarily true. You can chase your toddlers around, mow your lawn, or dance like no one is watching!
Physical activity is helpful in cardiovascular health, mental health, and maintaining good energy levels. Once you get used to becoming more active, it will become second nature. Remember you can start anywhere! Park far away at the store or take the stairs at work. Set a timer if you work from home to take a walk. Build up slowly and before you know it, it will be part of your routine. Shoot for 7 days a week eventually!
Sleep
If you have ever been sleep deprived, you know getting enough sleep is key to pretty much any semblance of a healthy lifestyle. When we don’t get enough sleep, we are cranky, we don’t learn as much, we get sick more often, and we can’t achieve as much as we would like. Creating a good sleep routine is so important! I wish I knew about this back when I was back in high-school and developed horrible sleeping habits. I have a separate blog post dedicated to creating a good sleep routine, so feel free to check it out!
Smoking/Alcohol
There is no amount of “safe smoking”, so it is best to not smoke at all! Quitting smoking is very hard, so if you are a smoker, be sure to get help. Don’t feel bad if you quit and re-started. It is better to try as many times as it takes than none at all. Luckily for those of us that enjoy a nice glass wine, there is a healthy amount of alcohol that can be had. Moderate alcohol intake can be good for you (one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men). It doesn’t mean you have to do it, but it is good to know!
Stress
It is impossible to live a life without stress, so what do I mean by that? In general, learning to cope successfully with stressful situations is the best we can do. I try to teach my toddlers strategies now to cope with their stressful life situations, like sharing a toy, which hopefully will translate to useful tools later in life. I have them name their feelings (I am angry!!), but then also talk about how to handle that anger. We use breathing techniques and alone time to help as well. As silly as it sounds, we can all benefit from these tools.
Untreated mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, can also lead to poor coping of any life situation, which in turn makes anything more stressful. They can also lead to more health problems, poor sleep, and make it hard to maintain good relationships with our loved ones.
The topic of this post may seem obvious but every day I see how we are all struggling to achieve balance in these areas. I tell all my patients that it takes time to make progress and to be patient with themselves. My motto for the last year and a half has been “progress, not perfection”. I encourage all of you to do the same!
Pick one or two things you want to work on per week. Build on them. Little by little, you will create the right lifestyle for you!
